


Choice

by PerpetualChaos



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco just hurts, Eliza is Tired, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Love, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, The-Boy-Who-Had-No-Choice, War, War sucks, Who's actually interested in seeing this expanded?, gets given one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:09:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27097099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerpetualChaos/pseuds/PerpetualChaos
Summary: In which Eliza is fearful of a lot of things nowadays, but not of the Death Eater in front of her, and Draco tries to shut her out.She gives him a choice instead.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	Choice

_You can’t_.

The words sat heavily on Eliza’s tongue, certainty, want, and need jumbled together messily until she couldn’t tell where one began and another ended. Her mouth was frozen though, her entire body refusing to cooperate and hurt this beautiful, broken boy in front of her any more.

Draco Malfoy deserved a choice, and Eliza Potter was going to give him one if it killed her.

“I won’t let you be alone.” The words were whispered when Eliza was certain she should have _shrieked them_. Yelled and shouted, thrown such a tantrum even the muggle world heard her. “I _won’t_ ,” she said, firmer though still just as faint. She’d felt dizzy before, but it was nothing compared to this _knowing_ that if Draco told her to leave right now, she would.

Her heart would shatter irreparably all over again, in this brand new life of her’s, and Eliza wasn’t sure, didn’t know _when_ her heart had decided a Malfoy was just as important to her as her own brother, flesh and blood compared to… What? What even was this silly Death Eater boy? Just a favorite character in a book? How could she ever find any words to articulate everything about him, all he meant to her, when she didn’t even know herself?

She could watch her Harry throw himself into harm’s way. She’d watched it before, and she would do it again, over and over, before this damn, impossible war was finished.

But watching as Draco tore himself apart to complete a mission he was set up to fail… Eliza couldn’t do that, even though she _knew_ with the kind of certainty that didn't, _shouldn't_ exist in wars, that it would be okay in the end. She _couldn’t_ , and she didn’t _understand, didn’t_ **_know_** ,but she couldn’t, not without breaking herself too.

_I love you, I love you, I love you._

“You don’t have to let me touch any magic. Dark or light, I won’t touch that cabinet without your permission. Not even a single spell, not without your permission, Draco, I swear, but _please_ , don’t make me watch. You’ve been falling apart, _and I can’t watch_ , Draco! I _can’t_. _It’s killing me_ , so please, just… Just don’t fall apart alone like this.”

_He’ll put himself back together_ , Eliza thought ( _knew_ , with the certainty of inked pages and a future already written). _Just like you know your brother will die before this is all over. You know that too, don’t you? And you’re not trying to stop_ that _._

But Harry had to die, just once, and Eliza was already planning to make sure it wasn’t with that same suicidal mindset. Harry would die knowing that was the way to live. Draco didn’t have that, didn’t have anything.

Draco was just looking at her, and though his expression was warped through her tears (when had she started crying?) Eliza thought he looked a bit like a child, with that vulnerable, struck expression on his face.

_He is a child. We’re all children._

It was the first time she’d seen his genuine emotions for _weeks_ , it felt like, and Eliza couldn’t hold in a sob.

“You _don’t know_ **_anything_** ,” Draco finally remembered to snarl, hand clutching his wand so tightly the pale skin was white. “You’re just Harry Potter’s _precious sister_ , and he hasn’t told you _anything_ , has he? Not even about his crackpot, _insane_ theory, or else you wouldn’t even be in that same _room_ as-”

And Eliza was tired. So, so very tired, and that’s her excuse when her mouth opened up with a bitter, bitter laugh. “I know you’re a Death Eater, Draco. I know _You-Know-Who_ ,” it came out as a hiss, hatred lining the words an emotion Eliza never would’ve expected, years ago. It’s natural now, just like the avoidance of the name that idiot claimed as his own. Normally, she’d just say Tom or Moldywort instead, but You-Know-Who is for those who are afraid, and Draco is very, very afraid. “I know he gave you a mission he doesn’t expect you to succeed just so he can have the _excuse_ to slaughter your family. I know, Draco, and I think you do too. But you’re right. All of this? This _knowing_? It’s still absolutely _nothing_.

“I’m not my brother, so I can’t win wars, and I don’t have any other family left to protect. Just my stupid, reckless Harry, and I couldn’t protect him if I tried. He wouldn’t let me. I’m not Dumbledore either, no genius tactician, strategist, or general, but…

“You know what I am, Draco? I’m a Hufflepuff. And maybe we’re a little slow, sometimes. Maybe we can be clumsy. Maybe we’re quick to tears,” and here Eliza let out another laugh, this one choked and helpless. Her cheeks were warm and wet, and for once they weren’t meant as show. Eliza was just as helpless as she felt, right then, but Draco wouldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t even if he should, really, and Eliza’s pretty sure she fell in love with him because of that.

Because of how, even though Draco Malfoy is a carbon copy of his father and strives to emulate his aristocratic perfection, he has his mother’s heart.

And Narcissa would lie to the Dark Lord’s face to protect her family, just as Draco had sacrificed his freedom and morals to a cause, to a man, he never truly believed in for himself, however swept away by stories and grandeur he'd been. Because Draco is going to keep his family from death, and so failure isn’t an option, not now, not for him.

Draco was a better person than her in far worse circumstances, and Eliza couldn’t help but love him for that and a million other things.

“But we _are_ loyal,” she continued, voice steady. “When we find our friends we hold to them, and I decided you were mine the second I first saw you in that shop. So you can tell me to leave, and I will.” Eliza’s voice held firm and her tears dried up, desperation lost as an aching exhaustion settled over her. She’d spent years running from it, distracting herself, but wars were apparently things that made feeling so tired inevitable. “It’ll break me, Draco, but I will. And if you make me swear by my magic that I’ll never breathe a word of this, of that cabinet or _any_ of this, I will. I’ll even add that I won’t use magic in this room without your express permission because _Merlin_ , Draco. I’d say or do just about anything right now if you just let me stay here.

“So what’s your move, Mr. Death Eater?”

Eliza laughed, hugging herself, and Draco opened his mouth to either destroy her or cause her already weak knees to collapse right where she was out of sheer relief and never move again.

Draco made his choice.

**Author's Note:**

> I have about half a first chapter written for an actual AU of this in which Harry has a twin sister, Eliza Potter, but unlike every other AU of this I seem to find she is not The-Girl-Who-Lived or whatever. Nope, she's a Hufflepuff, absolutely despises dueling, and has memories of her past life where she became a Potterhead while in the hospital with cancer.  
> My motivation was failing when I thought up this scene, and I decided to see if anyone would actually read and enjoy this concept other than me. I chose to put up this scene instead of the first chapter I'd already done because I figured there are a million other people who've started off their own AUs with the Dursleys, but far fewer who've made it this far in. I figure if people want to see the build up to this scene I'll find more motivation to do the in-between bits.


End file.
